


Dear me.

by Kaesteranya



Series: Princess & Mercenary [2]
Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-04
Updated: 2011-02-04
Packaged: 2017-10-15 09:26:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/159402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaesteranya/pseuds/Kaesteranya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“River is a super weapon, Inara,” Mal says flatly. “Super weapons do not do pigtails.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dear me.

**Author's Note:**

> The title is taken from the 31 Days theme for July 13, 2008.

“River is a super weapon, Inara,” Mal says flatly. “Super weapons do not do pigtails.”

 

And while she doesn’t roll her eyes or sigh, Inara has this look on her face that just oozes disappointment and disgust. “You have bad tastes and you should feel bad. I suppose it comes with being a man though.”

 

River, of course, does not contribute anything to the exchange but a pointed stare, one that Mal used to find hell-of-very-fucking-creepy. Now there were times when the man almost thinks it’s cute, in a bizarre sort of bug-eyed way.

 

That isn’t the issue at the moment, of course.

 

“You’ve gotten her brother’s permission for this, I hope.”

 

“I don’t think I need to. He’ll see her when I’m done.”

 

If he wasn’t already worried about charting out their next route or finding a new job or keeping his house in order, Mal might’ve gotten angry. Now, however, as he watches Inara lace her fingers through the tangles in River’s hair and smooth them out, he feels vaguely like a father who has been confronted with the revelation that he actually DOESN’T have as much control over things as he thought he did.

 

What’s even scarier is that somehow, he doesn’t really mind.

 

“Next thing I know,” he mutters as he turns away, “you’ll be putting make-up on her.”

 

“Why, thank you, Mal!” he can hear the smile in Inara’s voice. “That’s an excellent idea, I think.”

 

When River steps out later and her brother stares at her in shock, Mal silently declares that if anyone asks, it wasn’t his idea. Not his idea at all.


End file.
